Whether you’ve been a part of our food and farm family for years or you’ve recently joined us as a CSA shareholder or purchased from us at our farm store or the farmers market, we’re glad to have you.
We thought we’d take the opportunity to re-introduce ourselves and answer a few of the most commonly asked questions we receive here at the farm.
Elmwood Stock Farm is a sixth-generation family farm situated on the banks of Elkhorn Creek in the Bluegrass Region of Central Kentucky. John and Ann remember their grandparents, Cecil D. and Clara Bell, who began farming in the 1930s. They had a family dairy cow, barnyard chickens, varieties of crops and multiple livestock and worked the fields using horses and mules, and eventually a tractor. Their son, Cecil, Jr., and his wife, Kay, then ran a traditional cattle and tobacco operation, which their children, siblings Ann and John, took part in. As Ann and John grew older they continued the farming legacy and transitioned away from tobacco to the farm’s current offerings. Meanwhile, Ann met Mac Stone at a farming conference right around the time she and John were transitioning the farm to a diversified organic farm. A few years later, Ann and Mac were married. John and his wife, Melissa Bell, live on the farm, too, and are raising their children here— they’re the seventh generation of family farmers. Together, they oversee the day-to-day running of the farm as a leading producer of organic vegetables and pasture-raised eggs and meat in the area.
Yes, everything we produce is certified organic. To be USDA certified organic means we undergo a lengthy inspection process each year in which we provide a required Organic Systems Plan and our farm records are thoroughly reviewed by an officer from the Kentucky Department of Agriculture. It takes three years of organic production before certification is possible, and Elmwood has been certified continuously since the year 2000. We are also Real Organic Project certified which recognizes USDA certified organic farms that prioritize produce grown in regeneratively managed soils, livestock raised on pasture, and employee wellbeing.
Generally, organic farming is guided by the principles of keeping the soil and ecosystem as healthy as possible while growing and raising healthier food in the process. This is done primarily without the use of GMOs (genetically modified organisms) in feed and seed nor through spraying of synthetic pesticides or fertilizers. The kinds of tactics used are intended to cause as little to no harm to the environment as possible, in fact mostly the complete opposite. For example, rotational grazing of livestock allows for portions of pasture to rest between grazing periods as well as replenish. In turn, the livestock are exposed to less parasites while forage diversity increases too. Beneficial insects are given the opportunity to thrive, weeds are controlled mechanically, and row covers are used to protect crops. Growing organically is really a change in mindset to work with nature rather than against it.
Our livestock spend their whole lives on our farm and are rotated and grazed across hundreds of acres of pasture. Raising animals this way with the rotational grazing program creates a healthier animal and healthier animal products as the livestock are moved to fresh, unsoiled, and nutritious grass pastures. Attentive livestock and pasture management also helps sequester carbon and diversify pasture growth while preventing soil erosion and an overexposure to parasites.
There are nutritional benefits too; organic, pasture-raised meats have lower saturated fats, better omega-6 to omega-3 ratios, and higher levels of vitamins, protein, and collagen.
Broad-breasted breed turkeys have large frames, more white breast meat in relation to dark leg and thigh meat and a rounder shape. Meanwhile, heritage turkeys are leaner with a longer and thinner shape and a more equal dark meat to light meat ratio and a richer and juicier flavor. Both are 100% organic and raised completely free range outdoors on pasture without the use of antibiotics, GMO grains, or synthetic chemicals.
For a more detailed breakdown of the differences, check out this blog post. Enjoy this turkey video as well.
CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture and is a subscription program where you receive fully customizable weekly boxes (shares) from us with seasonal, organic, and locally grown and raised vegetables, meat, eggs and more, all packaged up for you and ready to be enjoyed each week, no muss or fuss. As a CSA shareholder you receive first pick of all that we have available before we offer it to the general public. We offer additional products from other partner farms and business to our CSA shareholders when we’re able—like sourdough bread, organic coffee, wild-caught seafood, organic tree fruit— plus our members receive other CSA-exclusive perks.
You can visit our CSA page to learn more and sign up.
We have several different options to suit your needs. You can shop our online store and purchase organic vegetables, meat, eggs and more for local delivery or pick up at our farm store. You can also become a CSA shareholder and receive a weekly, customizable box from us throughout the season. We also attend farmers markets year-round in Lexington, Ky. and Cincinnati, along with seasonal markets in Lexington and Georgetown, Ky. Be sure to check our social media pages for our most up to date schedule. If you don’t live nearby we do ship our pasture-raised meats and organic pantry items nationwide. We ship weekly on Tuesday, and you can go here to review our products and place an order.
So glad you asked! We have both our recipes page as well as a dedicated recipe collection for turkey and the fixings. We add new recipes frequently so keep checking back for more!